Home Office minister John Denham said: "Class A drugs and crime are clearly linked. Tackling them both is key to ending the cycle of drug dependency and criminal activity that ruins lives and wrecks communities and is a government priority.

"By helping the police and residents strengthen their local communities, we are determined to break links between drugs and crime, and make our streets safer places."

The cash is in addition to Merseyside's share of #50m distributed nationwide to crime and disorder reduction partnerships.